2000
#904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,001
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.97
Uncommon Last name
Waller
An occupational surname referring to a builder or repairer of walls.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 39,243 Americans carry the last name Waller. That puts it at #1,003 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,734 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Waller surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Waller with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
39K
1 in 8,734
Census rank
#1,003
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
34K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 34,222 bearers of the surname Waller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1003rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Waller, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.5%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Waller
The surname Waller originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It's derived from the Old English word 'walor,' meaning 'wanderer' or 'stranger.' This name was likely given to individuals who had traveled from one place to another, perhaps as traders or craftsmen.
In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England completed in 1086, there are records of individuals with the name Walor or Walur, which are believed to be early iterations of the Waller surname. The earliest known recorded spelling of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1177, where it appears as 'Walur.'
During the Middle Ages, the Waller surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in East Anglia. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name include Roger Waller, a landowner in Norfolk mentioned in the Feet of Fines in 1199, and William Waller, a merchant from Suffolk who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.
One notable figure with the Waller surname was Sir William Waller (1597-1668), an English Parliamentary commander during the English Civil War. He led the Parliamentarian forces in several battles against the Royalists and is remembered for his military prowess and leadership.
Another prominent Waller was Edmund Waller (1606-1687), an English poet and politician who was a member of the Cavalier school of poets. He is best known for his works such as "Go, Lovely Rose" and "On a Girdle," which celebrated the beauty of women and nature.
In the 18th century, John Waller (1742-1810), an English churchman and antiquarian, made significant contributions to the study of ancient manuscripts and inscriptions. He served as the Bishop of Peterborough and was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.
Moving to the 19th century, Lewis Waller (1860-1915) was a renowned English actor and theatre manager. He gained fame for his performances in Shakespearean plays and is credited with popularizing the use of historical costumes and sets in theatrical productions.
The Waller surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Waller's Ash in Kent and Waller's Haven in Essex, which likely derived their names from individuals or families bearing the Waller surname in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Waller
Among Census respondents with the surname Waller, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.5%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Waller bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Waller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.5% · 22,746
- Black or African American24.9% · 8,514
- Two or more races4.4% · 1,511
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 1,084
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 211
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 156
Timeline
Historical Census data for Waller
Waller appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#942
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,805
+1,804 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 12.48
Rank movement Down 38 places
2020
#1,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,222
-2,583 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 11.45
Rank movement Down 61 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #904 | 35,001 | 12.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #942 | 36,805 | 12.48 | +1,804 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 38 places |
| 2020 | #1,003 | 34,222 | 11.45 | -2,583 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 61 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Waller surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #942 | #1,003 | -6.5% |
| Count | 36,805 | 34,222 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 12.48 | 11.45 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Waller bearers went from 36,805 to 34,222 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 61 positions in the national ranking, going from #942 to #1,003.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Waller
FAQ
Waller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Waller?
Name Census estimates that about 39,243 living Americans carry the surname Waller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,734 residents.
How common is Waller?
Waller ranks #1,003 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 34,222 people with the surname Waller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (39,243), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Waller.
Has Waller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Waller went from 36,805 recorded bearers to 34,222. That is a decrease of 2,583 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #942 to #1,003.
What does the Census say about the background of Waller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Waller, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.5%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Waller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.5% (22,746 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Waller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.5%), Black (24.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Waller (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Waller mean?
An occupational surname referring to a builder or repairer of walls. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Waller (11.45 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Waller?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Waller is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.